Dark Academia

Dark Academia is a literary and aesthetic genre that revolves around the themes of elitism, classicism, intellectualism, prestige, mystery and death taking place in a higher education setting.

Updated July 12, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
The Four
Keel, Ellie.
Paper Book
THE DARKEST DEBUT OF THE YEAR. Unsettling, Uncomfortable, Unputdownable. 'Sharp, powerful, tragic, addictive' Chris Whitaker 'Dark, compelling and beguiling' Kate Mosse 'An engrossing read' The Sunday Times 'Intensely gripping' Karin Slaughter<...
A deadly education : a novel
Novik, Naomi
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver comes the first book of the Scholomance trilogy, the story of an unwilling dark sorceress who is destined to rewrite the rules of magic. FINALIST FOR THE LODESTAR AWARD * "The dark...
All the devils
Wilson, Catelyn
Paper Book
STEP INSIDE THE DARK ACADEMIA NOVEL WHICH HAS EVERYONE TALKING THIS SPOOKY SEASON PERFECT FOR FANS OF LEIGH BARDUGO'S NINTH HOUSE AND NETFLIX'S WEDNESDAY An elite academy. A secret society. A sister who will stop at nothing to...
Babel ; or the necessity of violence : an arcane history of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
Kuang, R. F.
Paper Book
Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War "Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial...
Blood over Bright Haven
Wang, M. L.
Paper Book
The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen. For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to...
Bunny
Awad, Mona
Paper Book
THE TIKTOK SENSATION, NOW REISSUED AS A BEAUTIFUL SPECIAL EDITION FEATURING BUNNY SPRAYED EDGES Meet BUNNY: the darkly funny, spellbinding trip of a novel that EVERYONE is talking about 'No punches pulled, no hilarities dodged, no meme unmangled. O Bunny...
Dead poets society : a novel
Kleinbaum, N. H.
Paper Book
A novelization of the hit movie starring Robin Williams as Professor Keating, an inspiring, uplifting teacher who changes his students' lives. Todd Anderson and his friends at Welton Academy can hardly believe how different life is since their new English professor, the flamboyant John Keating, has...
Hell bent
Bardugo, Leigh
Paper Book
Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell.Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy "Alex" Stern is determined to break Darlington...
I have some questions for you
Makkai, Rebecca
Paper Book
Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by TIME, NPR, USA Today, Elle, Newsweek, Salon, Bustle, AARP, The Millions, Good Housekeeping, and more "Unputdownable and unforgettable." --Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less is Lost...
If we were villains : a novel
Rio, M. L.
Paper Book
'Enter the players. There were seven of us then, seven bright young things with wide precious futures ahead of us. Until that year, we saw no further than the books in front of our faces.' On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door....
In my dreams I hold a knife : a novel
Winstead, Ashley
Paper Book
"[A] mordant debut novel....examines what it means to covet the lives of others, no matter the cost."--The New York Times "Tense, twisty, and packed with shocks."--Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Survive The Night Six friends. One college reunion. One...
Love & virtue
Reid, Diana
Paper Book
Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelist  Winner of the ABIA Book of the Year Award Winner of the ABIA Award for Literary Fiction of the Year Winner ABA Booksellers Choice Award for Fiction Winner of the MUD Literary...
Madam
Wynne, Phoebe.
Paper Book
My dark Vanessa
Russell, Kate Elizabeth
Paper Book
An instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 DYLAN THOMAS AWARD 'A package of dynamite' Stephen King 'Powerful, compulsive, brilliant' Marian Keyes An era-defining novel about the relationship between a fifteen-year-old girl and...
Ninth house
Bardugo, Leigh
Paper Book
'Impossible to put down' STEPHEN KING __________________ THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST FANTASY OF 2019 AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF OCTOBER 2019<...
Plain bad heroines : a novel
Danforth, Emily M.
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER "A delectable brew of gothic horror and Hollywood satire . . . [and] what makes all this so much fun is Danforth's deliciously ghoulish voice . . . exquisite." --Ron Charles, THE WASHINGTON POST "A multi-faceted novel, equal parts gothic, sharply funny, sapphic...
Society of lies : a novel
Brown, Lauren Ling
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * "A dark and haunting debut that explores secret societies, the bonds of sisterhood, and the intricacies of privilege at an elite college . . . I couldn't put this twisty tale down."--Julia Bartz, author of The Writing Retreat ...
Survive the night : a novel
Sager, Riley
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER One of New York Times Book Review's "summer reads guaranteed to make your heart thump and your skin crawl"; An Amazon Best of the Month Pick; Named a must-read summer book by The Washington Post, USA Today, Vulture<...
The Atlas six
Blake, Olivie
Paper Book
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake is the runaway TikTok sensation - a must-read fantasy novel with gorgeous illustrations. If you loved Ninth House, Fourth Wing and A Deadly Education, you'll love this. Secrets. Betrayal. Seduction. Welcome to the...
The betrayals
Collins, Bridget
Paper Book
'A sumptuous act of imaginative world-building ... Settle in, and enjoy getting lost in this captivating book.' OBSERVER WINNING WAS EVERYTHING... UNTIL IT DESTROYED THEM Two young men, Léo and Carfax, close friends and fierce rivals. ...
The Cloisters
Hays, Katy
Paper Book
The Secret Historymeets Ninth House in this sinister, atmospheric novel . . . the discovery of a mysterious deck of tarot cards lays bare shocking secrets within a close-knit circle of researchers at New York's famed Met Cloisters museum. 'Beguiling and...
The golden enclaves
Novik, Naomi
Paper Book
Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in the triumphant conclusion to the Sunday Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate. The one thing you never talk about while you're in the...
The last graduate : lesson two of the Scholomance
Novik, Naomi
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The specter of graduation looms large as Naomi Novik's groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling trilogy continues in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education. "The climactic graduation-day battle will bring cheers, tears, and...
The magicians
Grossman, Lev
Paper Book
Lev Grossman's new novel THE BRIGHT SWORD is out now! The New York Times bestselling novel about a young man practicing magic in the real world, now an original series on SYFY "The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of...
The maidens
Michaelides, Alex
Paper Book
**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** "Alex Michaelides's long-awaited next novel, 'The Maidens,' is finally here...the premise is enticing and the elements irresistible." --The New York Times "A deliciously dark, elegant, utterly...
The picture of Dorian Gray
Wilde, Oscar
Paper Book
HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. 'The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.' When Basil Hallward paints the portrait of young, handsome Dorian Gray, he falls prey to his dazzling beauty. Afraid that his...
The secret history
Tartt, Donna
Paper Book
Truly deserving of the accolade Modern Classic, Donna Tartt's cult bestseller The Secret History is a remarkable achievement - incredibly compelling, dramatic and playful. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at...
The starless sea
Morgenstern, Erin
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * From the bestselling author of The Night Circus, a timeless love story set in a secret underground world--a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea. "[A] gorgeously written epic love story, filled with magic and...
The things we do to our friends : a novel
Darwent, Heather
Paper Book
What is the cost of an extraordinary life if others have to pay? Clare arrives at the University of Edinburgh with a secret. This is her chance for a blank slate - to finally become who she was meant to be. And then she meets Tabitha. Tabitha is...
Tripping Arcadia : a novel
Mayquist, Kit
Paper Book
Med school dropout Lena is desperate for a job to help her parents who are approaching bankruptcy. When she is offered a position working for one of Boston's most elite families, the Verdeaus, she knows she must accept it - no matter how bizarre the interview. Working overtime, Lena discovers the...
We wish you luck
Zancan, Caroline
Paper Book
It doesn't take long for the students on Fielding campus to become obsessed with Hannah, Leslie and Jimmy. The three graduate students are mysterious, inaccessible, and brilliant. After Simone - young, bestselling author and erstwhile model - shows up as a visiting professor, and after everything...
The finalists
Bell, David
Paper Book
" The competitive selection process for a prized college scholarship turns deadly in the latest thriller from USA Today bestselling author David Bell. On a beautiful spring day, six college students with nothing in common besides a desperate...
The Divines
Eaton, Ellie
Paper Book
The Elin Hilderbrand Literati Book Club Pick! Recommended by Entertainment Weekly * CNN * Harper's BAZAAR * E! Online * Refinery 29 * Bustle * Shondaland * Vulture * The Millions * Lit Hub * Electric Literature * Parade * MSN * and more! "For when you want a coming-of-age...
Wing
Gemmell, Nikki
Paper Book
An explosive, contemporary literary thriller from international bestselling author Nikki Gemmell - Wing is Lord of the Flies meets Picnic at Hanging Rock meets Promising Young Woman. Students from an elite girls' school go on a camping trip into the Australian bush. Four of...
Anita de Monte laughs last : a novel
Gonzalez, Xochitl
Paper Book
REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a mesmerizing novel about a first-generation Ivy League student who uncovers the genius work of a female artist decades after her suspicious death A Best Book of 2024:...
The will of the many
Islington, James
Paper Book
At the elite Catenan Academy, where students are prepared as the future leaders of the Hierarchy empire, the curriculum reveals a layered set of mysteries which turn murderous in this new fantasy by bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington. Vis,...
The resemblance
Nossett, Lauren
Paper Book
I'm not saying I don't experience fear - I've seen enough to worry about every female coed walking home alone at night ... But that's why I chose this job. My fearlessness is a gift.On a November morning at the University of Georgia, a fraternity brother steps into a busy crosswalk and is struck...
The professor
Nossett, Lauren
Paper Book
A NEW CRIME THRILLER FROM THE AWARD-WINNING LAUREN NOSSETTEthan Haddock is discovered in his apartment, dead, apparently by his own hand. His professor is taken in for questioning, and rumors swirl that his death is the result of a student-teacher bad romance. The story hits the media, an...
Bloody genius
Sandford, John
Paper Book
Virgil Flowers will have to watch his back--and his mouth--as he investigates a college culture war turned deadly in another one of Sandford's "madly entertaining Virgil Flowers mysteries" (New York Times Book Review). At the local state university, two feuding departments...
Choose me
Gerritsen, Tess
Paper Book
From New York Times bestseller Tess Gerritsen and acclaimed thriller writer Gary Braver comes a sexy murder mystery about a reckless affair and dangerous secrets. Taryn Moore is young, beautiful, and brilliant...so why would she kill herself? When Detective Frankie Loomis...
An academy for liars
Henderson, Alexis
Paper Book
'Saturated with violence, desire, and power. It's a book with blood on its lips, and I loved it completely.' ALIX E. HARROW 'This darkly gorgeous story is a lavish feast for fans of gothic horror. One of my top reads of the year!' SUNYI DEAN 'Alexis...
Never let me go
Ishiguro, Kazuo
Paper Book
NOBEL PRIZE WINNER * From the acclaimed, bestselling author of The Remains of the Day comes "a Gothic tour de force" (The New York Times) with an extraordinary twist--a moving, suspenseful, beautifully atmospheric modern classic. One of The New York Times's 10...
The plot
Korelitz, Jean Hanff
Paper Book
** NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! ** The Tonight Show Summer Reads Winner ** A New York Times Notable Book of the Year** "Insanely readable." --Stephen King Hailed as "breathtakingly suspenseful," Jean Hanff Korelitz...
For your own good
Downing, Samantha
Paper Book
Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the prestigious Belmont Academy. Everyone thinks he's brilliant. Only you know the truth. They all smile when he tells us his wife couldn't be more proud - though actually, no-one has seen her in a while. They're impressed when he...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.